NCHC Corporate

Northern Counties Health Care’s Heidi Gingue Receives 2026 Vermont Hunt Blair Leadership Award

Northern Counties Health Care (NCHC) is proud to announce that Heidi Gingue, Population Health Manager, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Vermont Hunt Blair Leadership Award, presented by Bi-State Primary Care Association.

The Vermont Hunt Blair Leadership Award recognizes emerging and evolving leaders in health care who embody the qualities of the late Hunt Blair, including passion, compassion, vision, humility, mentorship, and dedication to improving the lives of others. Award recipients are selected for demonstrating exceptional promise and leadership within the health care field.

Throughout her career, Gingue has been committed to strengthening the connection between health care and community well-being. She began her career as a case manager in long-term care, supporting older adults and helping individuals maintain independence and quality of life. Her work later expanded into quality improvement and collaborative care initiatives with Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics across the region.

As Practice Manager at Concord Health Center and now as Population Health Manager at NCHC, Gingue has played an integral role in advancing team-based care, supporting providers and staff, and fostering partnerships that improve health outcomes for patients and communities.

“Heidi exemplifies the kind of thoughtful, mission-driven leadership that strengthens both our organization and the communities we serve,” said Chris Towne, Chief Executive Officer of Northern Counties Health Care. “This recognition is a reflection of the impact she has across our teams, our patients, and our partners.”

The award was presented during the Bi-State Primary Care Association’s 2026 annual conference and awards ceremony.

Early Detection Saved My Life: Lisa Moore’s Breast Cancer Journey

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to share stories, raise awareness, and remind women of the importance of early detection. Lisa Moore, now 58, knows firsthand how critical it is to pay attention to your body and get screened regularly.

Noticing the First Sign

When Lisa was 48 years old, she happened to catch a glimpse of herself in the mirror and noticed something she hadn’t seen before—a small dimple on her right breast. Trusting her instincts, she scheduled a visit with her Primary Care Provider.

Her provider performed a breast exam and ordered imaging, which revealed an area of concern. A biopsy confirmed what Lisa feared: she had breast cancer.

Facing Treatment with Support

Lisa underwent a bilateral mastectomy, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. Today, she continues on oral medication. Throughout her journey, she says she was grateful for the support she received from her health care team, family, and friends.

“I was so thankful for all the support I received,” Lisa reflects. “It made all the difference during such a difficult time.”

A Message for Others

Lisa’s experience has shaped her mission: to encourage everyone to take breast health seriously.

“Please do self-breast exams and know your own body,” she says. “If there are any changes, be evaluated by your primary care provider or a women’s health provider.”

She emphasizes that early detection is key. The current recommendation is for women between the ages of 40–75 to have mammograms every 1–2 years for screening.

Her Goal Moving Forward

Since her diagnosis, Lisa has been committed to spreading awareness and urging others to get screened. “My goal has been, since my diagnosis, for everyone to be screened for breast cancer so that any concerns can be found early,” she explains.

Lisa’s story is a powerful reminder that awareness and action can save lives. This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, take the time to know your body, schedule your screening, and encourage your loved ones to do the same.

The Importance of Screening

By Timothy Tanner, MD, Medical Director, Northern Counties Health Care

Cancer.  It’s a hard-to-understand and a scary word.  Cancer is something that hits other people—until it hits you or a family member, and normal is changed forever.

Discovering a way to prevent breast cancer is Nobel Prize-worthy.  Sadly, we are not there. Fortunately, breast cancer is curable when detected at an early stage.  Early detection comes from regular screening mammograms and self-awareness.   Screening mammograms, done at an interval based on personal and family history, are the most reliable way to find breast cancer at an early stage, before any symptoms develop.  When symptoms do develop, they may include:

• A new lump or thickness in the breast
• Change in the shape or contour of the breast
• Breast or nipple pain
• Nipple changes such as retraction or discharge
• Breast skin changes such as redness, thickening or flaking skin

The word on the street is that mammograms are inconvenient, awkward and uncomfortable.  These may all be true, but in my opinion, do not outweigh the benefit of regular screening mammograms, which can make a diagnosis of breast cancer a life-changing event and not a life-ending event.

We’re excited to share the Northeast Kingdom-wide Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) Report — a valuable resource for community members, organizations, and partners. This report brings the entire NEK together in one report. Inside you’ll find local data, which can be used to prioritize community needs and identify opportunities.

·         Advocate for policy and systems change

·         Shape new programs and services

·         Inform and strengthen funding proposals

Together, we can use this shared overview of our region’s health to make the NEK a healthier, stronger place for everyone.

To read the full report, click here: Northeast Kingdom-wide Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) Report

Northern Counties Health Care Announces Rylee Strohm as 2025 Recipient of Future Health Care Leaders Scholarship

St. Johnsbury, VT — Northern Counties Health Care (NCHC) is pleased to announce that Rylee Strohm, a 2025 graduate of St. Johnsbury Academy, has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the Future Health Care Leaders Scholarship. This inaugural $1,000 scholarship supports a graduating high school senior from Caledonia, Essex, or Orleans counties who is pursuing a career in health care and exemplifies compassion, leadership, and community engagement. Rylee will attend Western Kentucky University this fall, where she plans to pursue a degree in nursing.

This year’s scholarship is awarded in memory of Kim Wood, PTA, a dedicated and beloved member of the NCHC team whose career reflected a deep commitment to caring for others. Kim’s legacy of service continues to inspire, and this scholarship honors her lasting impact on the community.

Rylee Strohm impressed the selection committee with her thoughtful essay and clear passion for helping others. Reflecting on her experiences, she shared, “Overcoming my own challenges has driven me to pursue a career in nursing… I’m dedicated to making a tangible impact on the lives of individuals facing health challenges while actively engaging with my community.”
Rylee is a standout student, athlete, and leader. She has served on Student Council, the Student Athletic Council, and She’s the First, while also competing in multiple varsity sports and volunteering as a youth coach and referee. Her dedication to service and her community mirrors the values embodied by Kim Wood.

Treny Burgess, PT, Director of Caledonia Home Health Care & Hospice, who worked alongside Kim for many years, remarked, “Kim had an incredible way of making people feel seen, supported, and valued. When I read Rylee’s application, I was reminded so much of Kim—the compassion, the leadership, and the quiet determination to make a difference. It’s an honor to award this year’s scholarship in Kim’s memory to someone who so clearly shares those same qualities.”

“We’re incredibly proud to recognize Rylee as this year’s scholarship recipient,” said Christopher Towne, CEO of NCHC. “She represents the next generation of health care professionals who will not only deliver excellent care, but do so with empathy and integrity.”

To learn more about Northern Counties Health Care and its mission to build healthy families and thriving communities in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, visit www.nchcvt.org.

Dr. Timothy Tanner, MD, Medical Director, Northern Counties Health Care

Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month is observed annually in March.  This month aims to raise awareness about colorectal cancer, promote early detection and screening, and support individuals and families affected by this disease.

Colorectal cancer is cancer that occurs in the last part of the GI tract, the colon (also called the large intestine or large bowel) or rectum (the passageway that connects the colon to the anus).  Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in both men and women in the United States.  Yet it is one of the most preventable.  It is highly treatable and is often curable when caught early.

The American Cancer Society recommends that adults begin colorectal cancer screening at age of 45 and continue through the age of 75.  There are several screening tests. Colonoscopy is a one-step screening test that uses a flexible scope to look at the rectum and colon.  If an abnormality is seen, such as a polyp (growths that can be pre-cancers) it can be sampled or removed during the procedure.  Two-step screening tests require a colonoscopy as the second step if the first step is abnormal.  Two-step tests include stool-based tests, a special type of CT scan and sigmoidoscopy (a shorter, flexible scope that looks at the just the last part of the bowel).

It is important to reach out to your health care providers if you have any symptoms that may be due to colorectal cancer, regardless of your age.  Some of these symptoms might be:  blood in the stool, change in bowel habits, rectal pain, abdominal pain or unexpected weight loss.

You might be at an increased risk  of colorectal cancer if you have a close relative who has or had colorectal pre-cancerous polyps or colorectal cancer; if you have inflammatory bowel disease, Crohns disease, or ulcerative colitis; or if you have a genetic syndrome such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (Lynch Syndrome).

During March, Northern Counties Health Care will be doing recalls for patients that are due for colorectal cancer screening from the records that we have.

Every Vermonter deserves access to the health care services they need to live, work, and age in our Vermont communities. After years of flat or declining funding amid rising costs, primary care and home health organizations have reached the point where they must make tough decisions about how and to what degree they can maintain primary, preventive, and safety net services in their communities. These decisions will most acutely affect Vermonters living in rural areas like the Northeast Kingdom.
Northern Counties Health Care (NCHC) has been a cornerstone of care for the region since its establishment when the Comprehensive Planning Council opened its first Federally Qualified Health Center in Island Pond in 1977. A decade later, NCHC merged with Caledonia Home Health Care & Hospice which had been caring for Vermonters in their home since 1968.

Northern Counties Health Care now serves over 25,000 Vermonters annually through a robust network of five primary care sites with integrated behavioral health services, three dental clinics, two walk-in care facilities, and a Medicare Certified Home Health and Hospice agency. As a primary provider of health care services in the Northeast Kingdom, NCHC is committed to delivering high-quality, patient-centered care across these diverse areas, ensuring access to essential health services for all who need them. However, maintaining this comprehensive network is becoming increasingly financially unsustainable.

Federal rate cuts, stagnant reimbursement rates, and rising wages and supply costs are putting immense pressure on the robust care we deliver to Vermonters. The federal grants we receive to reduce financial barriers for our under- and uninsured patients have not increased in a decade. Inflation and the costs associated with delivering care continue to rise. The reimbursement we receive from commercial and government payers falls short of covering the true cost of providing primary care and home health services—some of the most underfunded areas in health care.

NCHC is unwavering in its commitment to the Northeast Kingdom. We strive to provide accessible, high-quality care to every individual and family in our region. This goal is increasingly difficult to attain as the gap between costs and reimbursement widens.
Addressing this challenge requires action. Policymakers must prioritize fair and sustainable reimbursement rates to ensure the long-term viability of primary care and home health services. Communities can support local health care by advocating for better funding and policies that recognize the value of comprehensive, integrated care.

While we acknowledge the challenges of tight state budgets and the collective desire to lower taxes and insurance premiums, it is important to recognize that investments in home health, primary care, and preventive services are practical and cost effective. These investments reduce expensive hospitalizations, emergency care, and long-term health costs, ultimately saving taxpayer dollars and reducing financial burdens on the healthcare system while improving health outcomes for Vermonters.
Together, we can create a health care system that reflects the resilience and strength of the Northeast Kingdom. By investing in primary, dental, behavioral health, and home health services, we can improve and sustain a model of rural health care that serves as a beacon of excellence. The Northeast Kingdom deserves nothing less.

Christopher Towne, MHA
Chief Executive Officer
Northern Counties Health Care, Inc.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 6, 2024
Contact: Jesse Dimick
Northern Counties Health Care
165 Sherman Drive
St. Johnsbury, VT 05819

Northern Counties Health Care Welcomes Dr. Michael Marro to Concord Health Center Northern Counties Health Care (NCHC) is thrilled to announce the addition of Dr. Michael Marro, DO, to the Concord Health Center team. Dr. Marro brings over a decade of diverse experience in family medicine, geriatrics, addiction medicine, and chronic pain management, further strengthening NCHC’s commitment to providing comprehensive, high-quality care to the Northeast Kingdom.

Dr. Marro earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2010. He completed his Family Medicine residency at Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, NY, and pursued advanced fellowship training in Geriatric Medicine at South Nassau Communities Hospital. Board-certified in Family Medicine with additional certifications in Geriatrics and Addiction Medicine, Dr. Marro is uniquely equipped to address complex medical needs across all age groups.

Before joining NCHC, Dr. Marro served as an attending physician in various settings, including community health centers and academic medical groups, where he specialized in managing chronic diseases, addiction medicine, and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs for opioid use disorder. His work emphasizes a compassionate, patient-centered approach and interdisciplinary collaboration.

“We are thrilled to have Dr. Marro join our team,” said Ranson Hudson, Practice Manager at Concord Health Center. “His wealth of knowledge and passion for providing patient-centered care will greatly enhance our ability to serve the health needs of our community. Dr. Marro’s expertise is a perfect fit for the diverse and complex medical needs of our patients.”

Dr. Marro shares NCHC’s mission of delivering quality, accessible healthcare. “I am honored to join NCHC and look forward to serving the vibrant and resilient community of the Northeast Kingdom,” Dr. Marro said. “I believe in integrating holistic approaches with evidence-based
practices to provide care that supports both physical and emotional well-being.”

Northern Counties Health Care is dedicated to improving the health and wellness of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom by delivering high-quality, affordable, and accessible care to the region’s residents. NCHC operates seven community health centers, including two walk-in primary care clinics, three dental centers, and a certified home health & hospice division. Together, these programs serve nearly one-third of the region’s population, addressing healthcare disparities and providing services that prioritize the well-being of underserved communities. To learn more about NCHC’s services, visit NCHCVT.org.

Dr. Marro will begin seeing patients at the Concord Health Center this month. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit NCHCVT.org or call the Concord Health Center at (802) 695-2512.